OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite: Stunning Display Meets Familiar Performance in Budget Segment

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite has officially debuted in India, representing the next iteration following the Nord CE 3 Lite, which was introduced the previous year. This new OnePlus smartphone comes with several enhancements in its specifications alongside a refreshed aesthetic. As the latest contender in India’s fiercely competitive budget market, where many devices now feature OLED displays, 5G support, and rapid charging capabilities, we spent some time with this device to determine if it has what it takes to distinguish itself in this crowded space.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite pricing in India

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is priced starting at Rs. 19,999 for the 8GB+128GB configuration, while the 256GB variant retails for Rs. 22,999. It comes in color options of Mega Blue, Super Silver, and Ultra Orange.

For our review, we received the 8GB+256GB model of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, which includes a TPU case, an 80W SuperVOOC charging adapter, a USB Type-A to Type-C charging cable, and a SIM ejector tool.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite Review: Design

The ‘Mega Blue’ variant features a plastic back with flat edges that mimic a metallic finish. The phone has slightly rounded corners, and the flat sides provide a comfortable grip. Even without the TPU case, the device feels a bit weighty, registering at 191g, but it’s not heavy enough to cause discomfort during use.

The glossy back is reflective and resists fingerprints and smudges effectively

 

Similar to its predecessor, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite retains a vertically arranged rear camera setup. However, this new model features a fresh pill-shaped area surrounding the camera lenses, placed beneath the rear panel and housing a dual LED flash arrangement.

The bottom edge features a 3.5mm audio port, microphone, USB Type-C receptacle, and speaker grille. An additional speaker is positioned at the top edge, while the power and volume controls are placed on the right side. The SIM tray is found on the left side of the device. The phone holds an IP54 rating, and the included transparent case has protective coverings for the audio and charging ports.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite Review: Specifications and Software

In terms of specifications, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite introduces two key enhancements over its predecessor: an OLED display and a primary camera with optical image stabilization. It boasts a 6.67-inch full-HD+ (1,080×2,400 pixels) AMOLED display with a refresh rate of up to 120Hz. When automatic brightness is activated, it reaches a peak of 1,200 nits, surpassing last year’s LCD model.

The Nord CE 4 Lite comes equipped with the Snapdragon 695 chipset, continuing the use of this 6nm processor for the third consecutive year in the Nord CE Lite series. It features 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and offers storage options up to 256GB with UFS 2.2 technology.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite includes some additional features from the company, but also comes with bloatware (tap to expand)

 

The device runs on Android 14, layered with the company’s OxygenOS 14 skin. There hasn’t been any announcement from OnePlus regarding the software support duration for this model, although its predecessor is set to receive two major Android updates and an extra year of security patches.

This new device maintains the same connectivity options as the Nord CE 3 Lite, with support for Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.1, 5G, 4G LTE, GPS, and a USB Type-C port. However, it lacks NFC support, which means no support for contactless payments.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite’s battery capacity has been increased to 5,500mAh, coupled with enhanced charging speeds through 80W SuperVOOC technology. In contrast to prior models, it now features an in-display fingerprint sensor for biometric security, made possible by its OLED display.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite: Performance

The Snapdragon 695 is an adequate chipset for routine tasks, delivering performance comparable to competitors using MediaTek’s Dimensity 7050 processor. It can handle many popular games and commonly used applications, provided they are not overly demanding.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite benchmark performance (tap to see larger image)

 

I played Battlegrounds Mobile India (BGMI) and Asphalt 9 on the Nord CE 4 Lite. The former performed well on default graphics settings, although I noticed minor lag during intense scenarios when the phone heated up slightly. Conversely, Asphalt 9 ran without any hitches, even after 30 minutes of gameplay.

I also conducted some synthetic benchmark tests on the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, and you can view the results below to compare its performance with two other devices sharing similar chipsets.

I encountered no issues with the stability of the OxygenOS 14 on the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite. Applications remain in memory for quite a while after use, switching between them is seamless (especially with gesture navigation), and the loading times for most apps are swift.

Like many other smartphones in this price category, the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite comes with preinstalled applications that could be considered bloatware, such as Agoda, Bubble Pop, Netflix, Facebook, LinkedIn, Microsoft 365, Myntra, Tile Match, and Word Connect. I successfully uninstalled all these apps, which were present right after activating the device.

The AMOLED display on the Nord CE 4 Lite is bright and represents a significant upgrade from last year’s LCD. OnePlus claims the panel reaches a maximum brightness of 1200 nits, and it delivered excellent visibility while I used the phone outdoors, provided automatic brightness was turned on.

The AMOLED display on the Nord CE 4 Lite markedly improves upon the previous model’s LCD

 

The battery performance of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite is comparable to other smartphones within the same pricing tier. It lasted for 22 hours and 17 minutes in our HD video loop test, averaging about 6 hours of screen usage over a week. Achieving 72 percent charge takes around 30 minutes, while a full charge occurs in approximately 55 minutes.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite Review: Cameras

The device features a dual-camera system on the back, comprising a 50-megapixel main camera with a Sony LYT-600 sensor and an aperture of f/1.9, alongside a 2-megapixel depth sensor with an f/2.4 aperture. Practically speaking, the primary camera is the standout choice for photography.

Even though the primary camera on the Nord CE 4 Lite has a lower pixel count than its predecessor, it interestingly supports optical image stabilization (OIS) alongside electronic image stabilization (EIS).

During my testing of the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite, the main camera effectively captured clear daylight images, assuming subjects were within a reasonable distance. These photos are sufficiently good for social media but lack detail when zoomed in.

Daylight shots from the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite are adequate for posting on social media (tap to expand)

The Nord CE 4 Lite displays a difference in sky color processing in 1x and 2x zoom modes (tap to expand)

 

The camera app includes an in-sensor zoom feature that allows for 2x zoom capture, enabling detailed pictures of nearby subjects. However, much like the default 1x mode, images still lack detail upon zooming in.

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite also features a dedicated Night mode for low-light photography. My main concern with this feature is that it requires manual activation; it does not automatically enhance images in dim lighting situations.

When activated, Night mode provides improved visibility and slightly better detail compared to images taken in standard mode. However, capturing each shot takes over a second, making it unsuitable for moving subjects. Additionally, there is noticeable smoothing to reduce noise, which can result in the sky appearing much more illuminated than reality at night, which is not ideal.

The night mode enhances low-light images on the Nord CE 4 Lite (tap for a larger image)

Night mode captures from the Nord CE 4 Lite exhibit a considerable amount of smoothing (tap to expand)

 

The OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite features a 16-megapixel front-facing camera, which performs well for selfies in daylight or well-lit indoor settings. However, images taken in low light can be blurry, and colors tend to be less vibrant.

You can record videos at a resolution of up to 1080p at 30fps using the primary rear camera in both 1x and 2x zoom modes, with both modes supporting OIS and EIS, without an option to disable these features. The video quality is sufficient for social media uploads, although the OIS tends to be less effective in low-light environments. The front camera allows video recording up to 1080p at 30fps, but lacks stabilization.

OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite Review: Conclusion

While the OnePlus Nord CE 4 Lite offers improvements over its predecessor regarding the display and rear camera, it encounters significant competition in the under Rs. 20,000 category from other brands as well as its own models that may feature superior camera capabilities or a more robust chipset. The older OnePlus Nord CE 3 boasts a more powerful processor and often falls below the Rs. 20,000 price point on Amazon.

This situation makes it challenging to recommend the Nord CE 4 Lite, unless an affordable device from OnePlus is a primary requirement. There are numerous alternatives in the same price range, such as the Poco X6 5G and Realme 12+, which come equipped with faster processors and more versatile camera setups. Additional options to consider include the iQoo Z9, Realme P1 Pro 5G, Vivo T3, and the Tecno Pova 6 Pro.

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